Beauty Store Business

SEP 2015

Beauty Store Business provides solutions for better retailing! New products, industry news, savvy business moves and important trends affecting both brick-and-mortar and online retailers are included in each issue.

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 23 of 83

22 September 2015
|
beautystorebusiness.com
Skincare Spotlight
I AM PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THIS
column the eve of Father's Day, which seems particu-
larly timely. Indeed, this month we are exploring men's
skin care. "Men's skin care." Is that really necessary?
This is a question I hear often. After all, why can't skin
care be unisex? Is skin care specific to men needed?
Should it be? Can't men just use good skincare products
for women? Or should we have men look for different
types of products when it comes to skin care?
There are two ways to answer this question—
physiologically and psychologically.
FIRST, SOME CONTEXT
We have definitely witnessed changing attitudes
towards men's grooming and skin care. The term
"metrosexual" came and went. What we are left with is
a growing awareness among male consumers that skin
care is essential and nothing to be ashamed of. We have
moved beyond soap and aftershave. As noted in the
June issue of DERMASCOPE Magazine, New Product
Development Group reports that 90% of men 18 and
older in the United States use some type of grooming
product. More specifically (page 68 of the issue):
• One out of three men says he is concerned about dry
skin and signs of aging.
• Four out of 10 men use a facial cleanser daily instead
of soap or shower gels.
• One out of four men use a scrub.
• One out of five men use antiaging products and eye-
contour gels.
• Multiple product use is still low, and an opportunity
for growth.
Statista (statista.com) has estimated the size of the
global male-grooming market from 2012 to 2020. In
2016, it estimates that the global male-grooming market
is worth about $(U.S.) 21.4 billion.
MORE ON THOSE MEN …
There are physiological differences between men's and
women's skin. Men tend to have oiler skin than women
as they have more active sebaceous glands. Therefore,
men's skincare products tend to have a lighter texture
and are more oil-free. Moreover, men do not like a dewy
look so their moisturizers need to be different from
women's moisturizers.
Men also have more hair follicles than women (i.e., a
mustache or a beard), and their hair follicles impede the
penetration of very small plant actives to where they
need to go. Therefore, extracts in men's products are
often more highly concentrated.
In addition, men have different sensibilities; they
don't want to smell like "a girl." Thus, male skincare
products tend to have more masculine aromas.
Whether you create a men's section or highlight spe-
cific products throughout your beauty-retail brick and
mortar and/or online, offering men's products is clearly
key to capturing this consumer.
BRAND CATEGORIES & KEY PRODUCT TYPES
Brands abound, and fall into a few categories:
• Unisex brands that appeal to male consumers such
as Kiehl's, Dermalogica, Malin & Goetz and Murad,
for example
• Leading women's brands that have developed men's
offerings, including Clarins and Clinique
• Leading men-only skincare lines such as Anthony
Logistics (although I hear it may be launching wom-
en's products), ZIRH, The Art of Shaving, Jack Black,
Billy Jealousy, Urth and Grooming Lounge
The key product types to look for are:
• Cleansers: Men love active cleansers so look for
some that contain enzymes or acids such as glycolic
or salicylic.
• Exfoliators: This is the type of product that men
embrace easily perhaps because of the perception of
the efficacy factor.
• Shaving Products: This is a no-brainer and requires
no explanation.
• Moisturizers: Multitasking products are the best
option for men. Look for products that heal the
skin post-shaving while addressing signs of aging.
Remember that "oil-free" are magical words when
speaking about moisturizers to men.
• Eye Products: This is the area that will show signs
of aging first. And while it might seem a more "femi-
nine concern," eye-contour gels are a hot category.
Focus on products that target fine lines and wrinkles,
but also puffiness and under-eye bags.
I often get asked about price points. I find that men
are willing to spend on themselves. The concern about
price points more often comes when a woman is buying
grooming products for a man.
MALE BEHAVIOR & SKIN CARE
Wooing the male consumer, however, is not just a ques-
tion of having the right products. It is also a question
of behavior. Here I have to give credit to my mother,
Dr. Barbara Polla. She has a fascination for men, and,
in particular, their beauty and grooming habits. So she
The Elusive Male
Beauty Consumer
What brand categories are available? Key product
types? Plus, four key insights for retailers—
as well as answers to other questions.
by Ada S. Polla
Photo
courtesy
of
Ada
S.
Polla;
photo
by
Kelli
Dailey,
Third
Line
Studios
Look for products that heal the skin
post-shaving while addressing signs of aging.
Remember that "oil-free" are magical words
when speaking about moisturizers to men.